Shark fishing Golden Beach

Question
Dear Mr. Arnov,
 Your response to my question several weeks ago was helpful, thank you.  It turns out i will be heading down to Golden Beach this friday.  I am going to do some surf fishing for sharks when i am there.  I have several more quetions regarding shark surf fishing.  What type of rig should i use, and most importantly, what size hook or hooks should i have.       
Also, is it realistic to think that i will catch sharks, or is it rare to catch them off Golden Beach.  Also what other species of fish would i be able to catch off the surf and what will i have to do to catch them.  Thank you for your time.

Blake Smith

Answer
Dear Mr. Smith,
Sharks are bottom feeders, smelling out dead bait (altho some, offshore, feed on top and midwater), so you need to cast out and leave the bait there. For this you will need, depending on your rod size (I remember you have a surf rod), a 4 to six ounce pyramid sinker to hold the bait in place in the surf.  You can attach a hook to the bottom of the sinker with wire, size 8 or 9, about a foot of it, and the line to the sinker.  Or you can place a swivel (3-way swivels are good for this application) at the end of the line and wire to the sinker; then a piece of wire to the hook from the swivel.  Hooks can be size 6/0, give or take a size or two.  Circle hooks are the best.  Re what else you can catch while at Golden Beach, I used to catch pompano there.  For them, as well as other fishes I'll mention, you'll need a monofilament leader, 30# test or so, and the same sinker at the end.  Dropper hooks along the mono attached to it by short pieces of the same and Kahle hooks are good.  Best to buy a pompano rig at a tackle store as they are ready-  made--there's a large Bass store near you.  Use shrimp or sand fleas for bait.  There would be jack, maybe Spanish mackerel close enough in to reach, and possibly a bluefish even tho the run is over.  Or you can run down to the Sunny Isles fishing pier close by.  For these two fish cut mullet or casting shiny jigs and spoons work.  Good luck.  Boris Arnov